Bulletins by St. Clare Parish (Page 13)

Some of the followers of Saint John the Baptist clung to the hope that John himself was the Messiah; obviously, Jesus’ followers (then and now) believed the same about Him. But it is not a case of one faction triumphing over the other. The disciples of Jesus (who eventually produced the gospels as we have received them) held John in the very highest esteem, as can be seen in this Sunday’s gospel passage: John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ John is hailed as the “last and greatest” of the prophets and even as the sole prophet of the New Testament. His message is clear: He points to Jesus and not to himself. As we leave the Christmas Season and observe these weeks of “Ordinary Time,” we can ask ourselves if we follow John’s example. Is it Christ to whom our lives point, or would we rather draw attention to ourselves?

The Feast of the Epiphany is a reminder to us that God is a God of surprises. Most certainly, the magi did not anticipate that their journey to the “newborn King of the Jews” would lead them to the backwater town of Bethlehem, where they found Jesus. It is also amazing that this revelation was made to foreigners, in keeping with today’s responsorial: All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him (Psalm 72:11). On Epiphany 2023, we can also expect the unexpected; God seldom fits into the categories we erect. Neither does the Lord abide by the limitations that we attempt to place upon Him. There are epiphanies of God’s presence all around us and sometimes these are in people and situations that truly surprise us. In the same way, each of us is called to be to others real signs of the loving presence of God in their lives.

Happy New Year to you all! Recent years have been marked by pandemic, war and insurrection. What will this year bring? In some ways, this will be determined by us; although we cannot control the circumstances and events of the world around us, we can help determine how those events affect us. We can take our cue from who it is that we celebrate and honor: Mary, the Mother of God, who “kept these things [regarding the Birth of Jesus] and reflected on them in her heart.” Mary teaches us trust in God, even when we do not know the outcome of unfolding events. She teaches an openness to God’s will, even when it messes with the trajectory of our lives as we have envisioned it. For us, 2023 is more than just the pages of a calendar. It is full of hope and possibility. May it be for us a time of peace and joy in the Lord. From all of us who serve you here at Saint Clare, we wish you many blessings in this New Year.

Dear Parishioners, In Jesus, the Word became flesh and God “pitched his tent among us.” That is what we celebrate on this great feast; it is what we celebrate every day. God is with us through the very bond of our DNA. Born of the Virgin, the Lord Jesus is fully human. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, He is also fully divine. Jesus became human so that we can become divine! Our Parish and School staffs wish you all the blessings of Christmas, as we thank you for “pitching your tents” with us. We are indeed a “family of families,” and we give thanks to the Lord for each of you. The Lord’s own peace be with you, your families and your loved ones. Sincerely,

The Gospel reading for this Fourth Sunday of Advent begins: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.” It tells the story of God’s direct intervention, not only in the life of Mary, but in the history of humankind and of all creation. What God did was not an evolutionary development, a “natural” progression in our history; it was an act of God, an act of compassion and love, for our salvation. As we make our way through this last week of Advent, our focus on how Jesus’ birth came about can help us to realize that for each of us God has been and was always present as we came into being. The same God knows and loves us and calls us by name from the first moment of our existence. Next weekend, we will celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I invite you and your extended family to join with us in one of our celebrations of the Eucharist. Even if you have found it difficult to be here on a regular basis, please consider coming home to Saint Clare for Christmas. We are never truly whole unless we are all together. May this week be a wonderful time of preparation for you and your loved ones.

Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains (Letter of Saint James 5:7). Patience is a virtue that most of us encounter in its absence; we are sometimes aware of how often we are impatient with others and even with ourselves. Saint James hints at an impatience even with the Lord, Whose return seemed to be delayed. Nearly 2000 years have passed since the apostle wrote those words, and we are still urged to be patient. From its origins in Latin (patior), patience is a kind of suffering. It is not easy; it does not come to us in an easy way. So we are called to the hard work of patience, as we walk through Advent. During Advent, is not as if we are playing a game of “make believe” that the first Christmas never happened. Rather, we look forward to the Lord’s return, even as we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of His Birth in Bethlehem. Advent is a time of “PPP:” Prayer, Preparation and Patience

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist, “the greatest and last of the prophets,” each in his own way, announced the coming of Jesus. Isaiah prophesied the peaceable kingdom that Jesus, in the power of the spirit of the Lord, would usher in. It would be a time of justice: cow and bear, wolf and lamb, calf and lion would live together in peace. The Baptist, on the other hand, announced Jesus’ imminent presence, encouraging his hearers to “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” This Lord came to us 2000 years ago and God’s reign is among us; yet we live in times that are far from the perfect peace that has been promised. Ours is the task of building up peace and justice in every moment, every act of our lives. Only then will our world have a chance.

The Season of Advent helps to prepare us so that we may prepare the way of the Lord. This may sound odd, since Christmas celebrates His Birth more than 2000 years ago. The season invites us to look back to that coming in time, even as we look forward to His return at the end of time. But it is even more important for us to prepare His way into our daily lives. For just as momentous as was the Incarnation when Jesus was born of Mary, so are the many times Jesus breaks into our world and our lives today, tomorrow and each day. Advent invites us to be attentive to the Lord and to prepare by works of charity and peace to be His living presence in our world today. God knows how much this is needed. Let this Advent greeting give us hope: “From Christ who is, who was and who is to come, grace, light and peace be with you all!” Advent Candles are still available for $5.50 per set, as are copies of the 2023 Saint Joseph Missal for Sundays and Holy Days, for $5.00. The Spanish Misal 2023 will also be here soon and for sale for $9.50 each.